Grape variety · Red
Mourvèdre
A dark, late-ripening Mediterranean grape: meaty and tannic, the core of Bandol and the "M" in GSM blends.
- Red
- Home: Spain, probably the Valencia/Murcia region
- Spain, France, Australia, USA
At a glance
- Also known as
- Monastrell
- Mataro
- Colour
- Red
- Origin
- Spain, probably the Valencia/Murcia region
- Main regions
- South-east Spain (Jumilla, Yecla, Alicante), Provence (Bandol), southern Rhône and Languedoc, Australia, California
- Varietal or blend
- Mostly blended with Grenache and Syrah; bottled alone in Bandol (at least half Mourvèdre) and as Spanish Monastrell.
- Body & sweetness
- Full-bodied, dry; also used for rosé.
Taste & style
- Flavour
- Blackberry and plum, with game, leather, black pepper and dried herbs.
- Style
- Deep colour, strong tannins, and a savoury, earthy character; can be rough when young.
In the vineyard & winery
- Growing
- Needs heat and sun to ripen fully — "face to the sun, feet in the water" is the old saying. Buds and ripens late.
- Winemaking
- Prone to reductive, farmyard aromas, so winemakers manage oxygen carefully; often oak-aged.
Food matches
- Lamb with rosemary and garlic
- Game and beef stews
- Barbecue
- Provençal daube
Notes
- Spelled "Mouverdre" in the old page URL; correct spelling is Mourvèdre.
From the glossary
Robust mediterranean hot climate grape variety widely grown in the southern Rhone region of France and mainly used to introduce color and body to the red wine blends.
From the Wine Grape Glossary by Anthony J. Hawkins (1931–2018), reproduced with authorship credit as he requested. Written in the 1990s.